With the release of Pinball FX 2: Marvel Pinball, one of the year's best Xbox Live Arcade games just got a little bit better. I'm choosing my words carefully here; nothing in this release deviates from the norm (read: wicked awesome pinball action). What I like about Zen Studios is how it's able to deliver a heaping helping of fanservice without compromising the substance. Yes, Marvel Pinball is a pack of four pinball tables themed to four classic Marvel superheroes. I'm not the biggest comic book fan in the world, but I do consider myself a fan of the characters -- enough of a fan to tell that they've done justice to these hallowed properties.

Marvel fans, rejoice. If you've ever wanted to see classic Marvel franchises implemented into pinball tables, Zen Studios has you covered. Well, as long as those characters are Spider-Man, Blade, Iron Man, and Wolverine. Me, I'm always happy with the tables regardless, but the theming is spot-on throughout. It's always the little things that impress with these releases; for example, balling out on the Wolverine table doesn't always mean the end. After all, Wolverine's mutant power is his healing factor, and in pinball language, "healing factor" translates to "shoot the ball through the Weapon X tank for another chance!" This treatment doesn't begin and end with the Wolverine table; ramps on the Iron Man table sometimes take you through translucent tubes shaped like Arc Reactors, Doc Ock looms over the Spider-Man table, and there's a day/night cycle on the Blade table that affects the gameplay. Like I said, total justice. Sound effects and voicework are a bit on the corny side, but let's face it: pinball is the video game equivalent of the blaxpoitation genre. An odd comparison, to be sure, but stay with me for a second: has pinball ever been able to take itself completely seriously? Would it feel like a true blue retro experience if every aspect of the final execution felt completely hip and modern? No. This game constantly winks at you -- a signature of a good pinball game.

As far as the actual pinball goes, I don't have any complaints. There isn't a whole lot wrong with Pinball FX 2, and in cases like this, more of the same is by no means a bad thing. The rule sheets are clear and concise, though getting the little metal ball to do what you want is never that easy. When it all comes down to it, I just hope that Zen Studios releases more Marvel-themed tables like this. (I'd really like to see a Hulk table and a more complete X-Men table. Just throwing it out there...) Recreating favorite moments in established Marvel canon has the potential to make any comic book fan giddy with delight, and that feeling alone makes this worth a buy.

If you invested in Pinball FX 2 (and really, everyone should have), this is a must-download. If you love all things Marvel and enjoy a good game of pinball, download Pinball FX 2 and download this pack while you're at it: you won't be disappointed. If the intricacies of most pinball machines intimidate you, these Marvel-themed tables are full of secrets that will invite you as much as they will tease you. I mean, seriously, how many pinball games have you played that feature Blade and Hannibal squaring off against Deacon Frost? 800 Microsoft Points is pretty much the standard for quality releases, add-on or not. And Pinball FX 2: Marvel Pinball is indeed a quality release.